2012 Ferrari California

Base RWD 2-Dr Convertible V8 man trans

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Base RWD 2-Dr Convertible V8 man trans

2012 ferrari california Reviews and News

2012 Ferrari California

By
Automobile Magazine
- 11/11/2011

If you want a Ferrari with a manual transmission, the California is your only choice. That's kind of ironic, since stick-shift cars have a reputation as the transmission choice of "real car guys" and the California is earning a reputation as the "housewives' Ferrari." It may be the soft-core alternative to the mid-engine 458 Italia, but the California still has enough brio to run with the best. The force behind the magic is a direct-injected (also Ferrari's first) flat-plane-crankshaft V-8 spinning out 454 hp at a lofty 7500 rpm. The engine doesn't crackle, bark, or scream the way other Maranello V-8s have, but that's why this Ferrari presents itself as a more civilized alternative than those undeniably insane mid-engine cars. The California's retractable hard top (another first for Ferrari) stores in fourteen seconds and leaves enough trunk room for two rollaway bags or one golf bag. A finished cargo shelf behind the front seats can be replaced with two very small rear seats -- perhaps for small children. The rear-mounted, dual-clutch automatic transaxle is tuned for smooth shifts, and the light steering won't bother the driver with too much feedback. The California, in fact, is so well mannered you might wonder how it came from the same company that built Scuderias, 16Ms, and 599GTOs. Of course, now you also know why it has earned its reputation as a Ferrari for the fairer sex.

It might sound obvious, but the Highway Loss Data Institute revealed in a new study that sporty cars and expensive cars tend to have more crashes, and those accidents generally result in more expensive insurance claims. The HLDI, a non-profit research group affiliated with the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety, published a study based on insurance claims for 2009-2011 vehicles.

Although some may argue the purest essence of the modern Ferrari is embodied in the 458 Italia and the astoundingly powerful 730 hp F12 Berlinetta, the California 2+2 drop-top grand tourer is a legitimate Ferrari in its own right. For 2013, the slightly more laid-back prancing horse gets a power bump, and an upgraded suspension package.

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